Our invention provides food and beverage flavor formulations containing both plant-derived and recombinant monellin derivatives and analogues thereof.
Various flavor formulations containing both natural and synthetic materials such as chocolate flavors, fruit flavors, various flavors used to augment or enhance the aroma and taste of alcoholic beverages, and mint flavors lack impact on dilution and have unpleasant aftertastes such as metallic aftertaste, acid aftertaste and bitter aftertaste. Such aftertastes are enhanced when using various artificial sweeteners such as the various types of thaumatin.
Accordingly, a need has arisen to create flavor enhancement of foodstuffs and beverages containing such flavor nuances. Furthermore, a need has arisen to create enhancement of such flavors for foodstuffs and beverages which also contain artificial sweeteners such as thaumatin; and particularly, alcohol-containing beverages, such as cordials, and low-fat peanut butter.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,478,923 issued on Dec. 26, 1995; 5,264,558 issued on Nov. 23, 1993 and 5,487,983 issued on Jan. 30, 1996 describe single-chain monellin analogues as low calorie, protein sweeteners as well as expression systems for making such single-chain monellin analogues. Nothing in these patents, however, discloses the utilization of such single-chain monellin analogues for augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of foodstuffs and beverages which contain high percentages of alcohol or which contain high percentages of alcohol in combination with artificial sweeteners such as thaumatin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,984 issued on Nov. 1, 1983 discloses flavored oral compositions containing thaumatin or monellin at a flavor potentiating level which level is below the sweetness threshold of thaumatin or monellin, respectively, in the composition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,984 further discloses a flavoring composition comprising a solution or dispersion of a flavoring agent in a carrier therefor and also contains thaumatin or monellin at a flavor potentiating level which level is below the level required to provide sweetness in a substrate when a flavoring composition is added thereto in a flavoring amount. In Example I at columns 2 and 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,984, a formulation containing 10% by weight glycerol, 10% ethanol, 0.05% cetyl pyridinium chloride, 0.066% cinnamon and mint flavor, 0.005 to 0.01% saccharin, 0.0001% thaumatin and water (up to 100%) is disclosed. The effects of using single-chain monellin analogues or natural monellin in place of the thaumatin or in addition to the thaumatin in such formulations containing ethyl alcohol is not recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,984.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,747 issued on Nov. 22, 1994 discloses the use of succinic acid taken alone or taken further together with sclareolide in enhancing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs. Nothing is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,747 concerning the combination of such succinic acid taken alone or further together with sclareolide in combination with either the single-chain monellin analogues of our invention or with natural monellin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,207 issued on Mar. 12, 1991 discloses the improvement on the taste of foodstuffs especially having a sweet aftertaste and an astringent and other unpleasant aftertastes by means of the addition of sclareolide thereto. Although thaumatin is mentioned at column 8, line 28 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,207, the specific impact of single-chain monellin analogues or natural monellin on the depression of such aftertastes is neither set forth nor is it implied in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,207.
In general, nothing in the prior art discloses the use of single-chain monellin analogues or natural monellin or its analogues in augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of ethyl alcohol-containing beverages and foodstuffs, particularly when such ethyl alcohol-containing beverages or foodstuffs also contain thaumatin or succinic acid or sclareolide.